Wireline news from across the web:
@FierceTelecom RT @leedoyle_dc: NFV and SDN technology benefits drive telecom changes. Article | Follow @FierceTelecom
> Video game companies are shelling out millions to build faster networks with lower latency to attract new online gamers. Article
> EarthLink announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock in the amount of $0.05 per share to be paid on April 6, 2015, to shareholders of record as of March 23, 2014. Release
> Spark, formerly Telecom New Zealand, has established a joint venture with Australia's Vocus Communications to build fiber-based networks to support high speed data services. Article
Cable News
> Dish Network has become the latest pay-TV operator to announce significant rate increases, upping the price of its "America's Top 120" and "America's Top 200" programming tiers by $5 a month. Article
> MaxLinear Inc., a provider of set-top box circuitry to the pay-TV market, has acquired Entropic Communications, a maker of semiconductor solutions for the connected home. Article
Online Video News
> Web and online video portal AOL laid off 150 employees, mostly from its advertising sales unit, saying its increased reliance on programmatic buying (an automated way to sell and place online ads) has made their jobs superfluous. Article
Wireless News
> RadioShack may soon go into bankruptcy protection--a move that could mark the end of its existence as a national retail chain. And the company is considering selling half its store leases to Sprint and shutting down its remaining stores, according to a Bloomberg report. Article
> Samsung Electronics is changing its mobile marketing chief less than a month before it is expected to debut the next version of its flagship Galaxy S smartphone line. Article
And finally… Timothy B. Lee@binarybits: To be fair, cable has done a pretty good job upgrading their networks. But in competitive markets "pretty good" often isn't good enough.